This is How A Man Should Live!
by Yukiwarashi
Summary: [Digimon Savers] Masaru is forced to deal with his own feelings, as well as Agumon's when it comes to teaching him about love. Masaru x Yoshino, Agumon x Raramon


This is How A Man Should Live!

Author's Note: This story is based on the new Digimon Savers series. It's only 3 episodes in, but I felt I had enough information to write this story with what I knew. The only term you need to know of is...

Aniki: It means brother, but it can also mean boss. It carries a family-like connotation. Gangsters and yakuza often use it. In this case, Masaru is the boss and Agumon is the follower.

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A peaceful dream. Nothing made 14 year old Masaru Daimon happier than delievering a nice punch to his opponent's face. He couldn't describe the feeling, it just felt good to be in a nice fight and come out the victor. Masaru could picture himself already. With a quick one-two combo, the opponent would be on his knees and begging for mercy. All the brown haired boy could do was laugh in victory while everyone crowded around to see what happened. Among the voices was a cry that sounded somewhat familiar...it was saying...aniki...aniki...aniki?

"Aniki! Wake up!" Masaru blinked and realized where he was. Masaru looked around the room to make sure that it was in fact his room. Next to him was his Digimon partner Agumon, a yellow lizard with a big nose.

"Agumon...? What is it? I was sleeping, damn it." Masaru rubbed his face to get rid of the drowziness. Agumon stared at the ground for a few seconds, looking very hesitant.

"Aniki...I've been feeling strange lately." Masaru covered his face with his hand.

"Oh boy...not another one of these...Agumon, it's called hunger." Masaru muttered. Agumon shook his head.

"No no, aniki...I feel weird around Raramon." Masaru raised an eyebrow. This was definitely strange. When Agumon wanted to do something other than fight and eat, it was big news.

"Um...explain...Agumon." Masaru crossed his arms. Agumon tapped his chin with his claw.

"Well...whenever I'm around Raramon, I feel happy. I like being around her." Agumon said.

"Why? She sucks at fighting. Don't you feel happy being around me? When we fight together?" Masaru asked. Agumon waved his claws.

"Yes! Yes! Of course I do! This feeling is different, though. Can you help me aniki? It's going to keep bothering me." Agumon sighed. Masaru stared at the window. Outside he could see two birds chirping together and ruffling against each other. Masaru found himself sighing as well. As Agumon's 'boss', he couldn't leave his follower in the dark. Some day he would have learn about a troublesome thing called love. Masaru placed his hands in his pockets and got off his bed.

"Put on a sweater Agumon. I'm going to teach you an important lesson."

Masaru and Agumon were walking down the street. Masaru seemed distracted. It was something Agumon could easily notice.

"Aniki? What's wrong?" Agumon asked. Masaru shook his head.

"Oh, it's nothing." Masaru smiled when he found what he was looking for.

"Okay, look over there Agumon. Do you see that boy and girl?" he asked. Agumon glanced at the two on the bench. It was a boy and a girl cuddling. The boy stroked the girl's face gently and brought her closer for a kiss.

"A...Agumon...how do you feel seeing those two do that?"

"I can see it...I can see myself doing that with Raramon. It would make me happy!" Agumon said, smiling. Masaru was taken back, and it showed on his face. Agumon blinked.

"What? Don't you feel like doing that with Yoshino?" Masaru's eyes widened.

"WHAT! Are you kidding me! Don't say stupid things like that Agumon! Of course I don't! I'd never want to do that! Yoshino's the worst! She's so naggy and annoying!" Masaru had his fist on Agumon's head.

"Ahhh! That hurts, aniki!" Agumon wailed. Masaru stopped and placed his fist back in his pocket.

"Just because girls can like guys and guys can like girls, it doesn't mean that they'll always like each other. Take me for instance! I don't like any girls! They just get in the way when you want to fight someone! For those guys who are all romantic or whatever...well, they're weaklings!" Masaru declared. Agumon didn't look too happy with this response. Masaru knew he hurt Agumon's feelings and decided to think of something else to say.

"However...love is like a fight...you know..."

"Eh?" Agumon looked at Masaru with curiousity. Masaru grinned.

"Yeah...love is like a fight! See...imagine you walk into a bunch of punks. You have to pick out the best one, right? Obviously you want the strongest one, so you have to make yourself look availible. Then if the strong person you're looking at looks back and gives you "the look", you know you're in for a fight! Love is like that. Sometimes you'll like someone, and they might like you back...or they won't...but no matter what, you don't give up the fight!" Masaru raised his fist into the air. Agumon raised his claw into the air.

"Great! I want to fight with Raramon!" Agumon said. With that he ran off.

"Ahhh! Agumon, wait! You idiot!"

Masaru had finally caught up to the yellow lizard and gave him a punch in the head. Agumon fell to the ground.

"Ahhh! Aniki! What was that for!" Agumon cried.

"You can't just go up to Raramon and tell her you like her!"

"Then what do I do?" Agumon asked.

"Well..." Masaru thought back to the time when his father still lived with them. Masaru was only four at the time, but there was one day that he could not get off his mind. He was playing with building blocks when his dad finally arrived home from work.

"Papa! You're home!" Sayuri said as she met him at the door.

"Hey Sayuri...I've got a little something for you!" Masaru's father revealed roses. Sayuri gasped and quickly kissed her husband.

"Papa...they're beautiful!" Masaru watched this display of affection in confusion. They were just flowers...what was the big deal?

"Even now I still don't know what the big deal is." Masaru said out loud.

"Huh?" Masaru glanced at a nearby flower shop. He grabbed Agumon's claw and dragged him there.

Masaru and Agumon left the shop with a dozen roses. They were now on their way to the DATS building. DATS stood for Digital Accident Tactics Squad. Their job was to handle wild Digimon crimes and send them back to the Digital World. Masaru and Agumon happened to be a part of this organization, as did Yoshino and Raramon. In the hallway, Yoshino and Raramon were eating lunch. Agumon gulped. Masaru nudged him and took half of the roses.

"Maybe we bought too much...but anyway...you can't be nervous Agumon! We've come this far. You've got to be brave. Remember, just think of it as a fight. If you're scared, you'll just leave without a fight. It's the same thing here. If you leave now, you won't know how she feels!" Masaru thought of what he was saying. He couldn't believe these words were coming out of his mouth. Agumon nodded and clutched onto the roses.

"Okay aniki! I won't let you down!" He took small steps towards the two females. Yoshino looked up from her lunch.

"Hey! It's you two! What's with that ridiculous sweater? Didn't I already tell you how to keep Agumon inside your digivice!" Yoshino placed her hands on her hips. Masaru rolled his eyes. The nagging started immediately, as expected.

"Yeah, yeah...whatever..." Masaru mumbled.

"Don't you talk to me like that!" Yoshino yelled. While the two were about to argue, Agumon approached Raramon.

"Raramon!"

"Agumon, hello." Raramon said. Agumon gulped, but remembered what his "aniki" said and kicked himself.

"Raramon, I wanted to tell you I like you. These are for you." Agumon handed Raramon the roses. She could barely hold them with her stubby arms.

"A...Agumon...thank you...I...er...like you too!" Yoshino and Masaru stopped their bickering and glanced at the two Digimon.

"Aww! How sweet! At least your Digimon is more of a gentleman than you are!" Yoshino teased. Masaru looked at Agumon with a smile on his face, but there was a mix of feelings in his heart. He quickly turned around and ran out of the building. Agumon chased after him with a cry of "Aniki!"

Outside, Masaru was punching the wall in fury.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Masaru was about to punch the wall a fifth time when Agumon grabbed his arm.

"Aniki! What's wrong?" Agumon asked. Masaru stared at the ground.

"I didn't want to admit it to you before...but I like Yoshino." He said. Agumon's eyes seemed to shine as he clapped his claws.

"That's great! You can give her those roses and tell her!" Agumon said. Masaru clenched his fist.

"No! It's not that easy! You don't understand..."

"Huh...?" Agumon stared at his Tamer. Masaru was shaking.

"She's 18...I'm 14...all we ever do is fight...but that's the reason I like her...she's not afraid to speak her mind. I know all she sees me as is probably a little kid, and I can't take it...I don't want her to reject m-" Masaru was interrupted when Agumon kicked him in his private place without warning. Masaru knelt down in pain.

"A...Agumon...bastard...what was that for!" Masaru said through his gritted teeth.

"You're not aniki..." Agumon said.

"Wh...wha? Of course I am...!"

"No! Aniki isn't like this! Aniki doesn't talk like this at all! What happened to my aniki! The one who told me what to do? The one who did whatever he wanted without thought! He's not the aniki I see right now in front of me!" Masaru was shocked. This was the first time he had seen Agumon angry.

"Aniki, we are partners...right? If I was able to do something, then you should too! We are not children...we are...men!" Masaru started to remember what he and Agumon had been through in the short time they knew each other. The fights against those two Digimon...he remembered what he told Yoshino as she yelled at him to run away from the fight. He slowly stood up as he recited what he said that night.

"There's...no way in hell...I'd turn my back...to the enemy...and run like a coward...no matter...how difficult it gets...I'll stand firm without taking a step back...that's...how a man should live...!" Masaru picked up the roses and made his way towards the DATS Center.

"That's the way aniki!" Agumon cheered as he followed behind.

Yoshino and Raramon were finishing up their lunch. Masaru approached Yoshino quickly.

"Huh? Masaru? You're back aga-" Yoshino stopped her sentence when Masaru stood in front of her. He held out the roses.

"Yoshino. I like you." He said. A blush spread across Yoshino's cheeks as she took the roses into her lap. Without thinking, Masaru leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before turning and walking away.

"Masaru..." Yoshino whispered. Masaru decided not to look back. What she said didn't matter. He had delivered the final punch. In his heart, he had won the fight. 


End file.
